This Is NOT Milk, Mom!

From the start, I was stubbornly determined to teach Bella to enjoy drinking water. I was never a water drinker until I was a parched, pregnant desert-dweller so many months ago. Realizing its importance for health and practical purposes, I happily served Bella water in her first sippy cup around 6 months of age, nearly forgoing juices altogether. And today my daughter is a water-drinking little camel! Naturally I felt very accomplished...up until about a week ago...alabeit attempt #1 at getting Bella to drink cow's milk from a sippy cup. This is of course to take steps toward weaning the child before she is old enough to drive say, "Mother, I would very much like some milk if you would please oblige." (For anyone reading this who is actually taking me seriously right here, our daughter is only just 14 months old, so...breathe in, breathe out.) Intro to milk mistake #1: I told her the foreign white liquid was milk. Bad idea. One sip and said milk was vehemently rejected with lots of "no no's.".

Attempt #2 came about a week later - today. This time, wise from experience (ha!), I referred to the milk as "drink." This fooled her. Until she tasted it. She was standing in the livingroom when I handed her the milk and upon realizing this drink was not in fact her beloved water, she quickly set the cup on the ground. All the while she was wildly shaking her head, saying "no no no no no." THEN, my sweet, innocent daughter KICKED the cup over. (Don't worry. It was a spill-proof sippy cup, but still...!) I can't really blame her though. Mom clearly hasn't learned the meaning of "no" and vigorous shaking of the head, so let's leave no room for confusion here! (And you might like to know that she guzzled down a whole cup of water immediately thereafter.)

My plan of attack? I don't have one. Much like I taste sweet potatoes each Thanksgiving just to see if I still hate them --I do--, I'm hoping that Bella will take ONE sip of milk at every meal until maybe, just maybe one day she decides that milk tastes mighy fine! And I will continue to consume (and make) gallons of milk all by myself. (But that part - the drinking-lots-of-whole-milk part - I do not mind one bit! YUM.) Meanwhile, I'm going to study Bella's newborn pictures to make sure she wasn't switched at birth. ;-)